1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a lighting arrangement for industrial image processing, having a lighting control unit and at least one lighting unit with a first data communication interface for connecting a data bus, wherein the lighting control unit is connected to the lighting unit via the data bus, and a lighting device with a number of light sources is arranged in the lighting unit. The invention further relates to a method for controlling a lighting of an industrial image processing.
2. Discussion of Background Information
In industrial image processing, a lighting field is illuminated by lighting, and the illuminated lighting field is captured and analyzed by an image acquisition unit, for example a camera. The result of the analysis can be used in many different ways and ranges from mere monitoring to open-loop and closed-loop controlling of a manufacturing process. In industrial image processing, lighting plays an important role because it must provide a preferably constant and defined illumination of the lighting field in order to ensure a reliable analysis of the captured images. Each light source, and particularly LEDs used in today's lightings, age with operating time and based on the manner they are operated. Therefore, lighting for industrial image processing is, as a rule, controllable in order to allow for a constant, defined illumination. As a rule, it is thus also necessary to purposefully adjust the lighting to each individual application of industrial image processing, which requires a specific flexibility of the lighting.
For example, WO 2015/097476 A2 describes a lighting system for industrial image processing. The lighting system comprises a lighting unit with lighting means (LEDs) which are controlled by a control unit. In the lighting unit, a memory is provided in which lighting-relevant data are stored which are to some extent updated during operation and read by the control unit and taken into account for the control of the lighting means. The lighting system is thus a closed, autarkic system. For adjusting the lighting to an extent which exceeds the possibilities of the lighting system, the lighting means in the lighting system must be adapted or a plurality of lighting systems must be used. However, in case of a plurality of lighting systems, it is difficult, due to the closed nature of the lighting systems, to adjust or control the joint operation or interaction of the lighting systems.